Guide: Saffron crocus
Saffron is the red stigmas of a purple flower, the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), known in La Mancha as the saffron rose. It blooms in autumn, close to the ground and only for a few weeks. Seeing it means watching a harvest done by hand, flower by flower, at dawn.
When
In La Mancha the flowers appear between the second half of October and the first half of November, according to the Azafrán de La Mancha PDO. The exact timing depends on that autumn's weather, especially temperatures and rain. New flowers come up every night and are picked the same morning.
Where
The Azafrán de La Mancha PDO covers municipalities in the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo. Today the fields are small and scattered. On our map we follow Consuegra (Toledo), which holds its Saffron Rose Festival every autumn beside its windmills.
How to tell the moment
First the pale, slender shoots break through the soil. With the first flowers, scattered purple blooms appear along the furrows. At full bloom the field dawns dotted with purple every day and is picked daily. At the end hardly any flowers appear and only the thin green leaves remain, growing on through the winter. After picking, the stigmas are removed by hand (the monda) and toasted.
How to see it
Saffron fields are private and the flower is the harvest: do not go in or pick flowers. Picking is done early in the morning and in a hurry, because the flowers must be processed the same day: do not get in the way of the work. To see the stigmas being removed or learn about the process, look for organised visits or activities. Park without blocking tracks. Consuegra's festival weekend is very busy.
Did you know?
The saffron plant is sterile: it has three sets of chromosomes and produces no viable seed. It only multiplies through its bulbs, called corms, so its cultivation has always depended on people digging them up and replanting them. Under the PDO they are lifted every four years and planted in fresh ground.
Where we follow it
Usual season: dates from past years, for guidance only. Each year it comes earlier or later depending on the weather.
Tell me when it blooms: saffron crocus
We will email you when flowering starts. One email per season, no advertising.
Sources: doazafrandelamancha.com · doazafrandelamancha.com · doazafrandelamancha.com · ruidera.uclm.es